Rugby league icon Kevin Sinfield has revealed the profound inspiration behind his latest gruelling charity challenge: the strength of a teenage schoolboy's family in the face of motor neurone disease.
The Emotional Drive Behind the Miles
During his astonishing '7 in 7' ultramarathon challenge, where he aimed to run at least 27.9 miles each day for a week, Sinfield said the most difficult moment was an emotional meeting with the family of Kyle Sieniawski. The 14-year-old from Pontypridd, South Wales, passed away last month, becoming Britain's youngest known victim of MND.
"The difficult spot was sitting in front of Kyle's family," Sinfield confessed to The Mirror. "When you meet the families who've had a really tough time through MND, they're the difficult moments. That's what I think of while I'm on the road." Despite the emotional weight, he emphasised that the incredible public support meant there had been "no dark spot" in the challenge itself.
Smashing Targets and Honouring a Friend
The 45-year-old former Leeds Rhinos star has now seen his fundraising surge past the £800,000 mark, demolishing his initial target of £777,777.777 with two days of running still remaining. This effort contributes to a staggering cumulative total of over £10 million raised for MND charities since he began his annual challenges in 2020.
Sinfield's mission is deeply personal, fuelled by the loss of his close friend and former teammate Rob Burrow to MND in 2022. He plans to continue the challenge for a seventh time next year, matching Burrow's iconic shirt number. The final leg of this year's run will finish at Headingley Stadium, the home of Leeds Rhinos.
A Community United in Support
The scale of public backing was evident in Cumbria, where The Mirror joined Sinfield for a mile. Dozens of supporters, including those walking and in wheelchairs, completed laps of a track in solidarity. Schoolchildren lined streets to cheer him on, and one man made a poignant request for Sinfield to briefly push his mother's wheelchair.
Addressing the crowd at Whitehaven's Cumbria Sports Academy, an emotional Sinfield said: "You're a beautiful community... this is what inspires us, this is what gives us the drive and push and energy to continue. The way we crack this is we keep sticking together and fighting together."
He also paid tribute to the unwavering support of his wife Jayne and his two sons, Jack and Sam, who he speaks to about ten times a day during the challenges.
The funds raised are making a tangible difference. Mike Rogers, Director of Research Innovation at the MND Association, highlighted that money from Sinfield's previous efforts has provided vital financial grants to families and helped kickstart a Research Nurse Network for clinical trials. "Six people are diagnosed with motor neurone disease every day in the UK," Rogers stated, underscoring the relentless urgency of the cause.
This year's challenge began in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and included a run in Cork, Ireland. The effort continues to support initiatives like the recently opened Rob Burrow Centre for MND in Leeds, a facility dedicated to care, research, and holistic support for those affected by the disease.
